Roddick to Headline Annual Charity Event

New York, N.Y. — Longtime friends Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King are bringing their annual Advanta WTT Smash Hits charity night of tennis to Louisiana for the first time in the event’s 17-year history. Tennis champion Andy Roddick and other top players will compete on December 8, 2009, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge.

Smash Hits has raised more than $9 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and various local AIDS charities since 1993. This year’s event, presented by the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation and hosted by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, will benefit EJAF and other regional AIDS charities.

“The Pennington Family Foundation is deeply committed to assisting Baton Rouge non-profits working to curb this epidemic facing our community,” said Paula Pennington de la Bretonne, Pennington Foundation Trustee. “This partnership will go a long way toward increasing our efforts to strengthen the awareness, education and support to programs focusing on people living with HIV.”

Captained by King and John, the players will form two teams and play five sets of World
TeamTennis (WTT). Also, John will also participate in a celebrity doubles match to open the event. Additional participants and ticket details will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Roddick, a long-time supporter of Advanta WTT Smash Hits, has consistently been ranked among the top 10 players in the world since turning pro in 2000. Roddick has won 27 singles titles on the ATP Tour, including the Memphis tournament earlier this year. The former world No. 1 won the 2003 US Open and has reached the finals of Wimbledon twice (2004 and 2005). Roddick won the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 2004 and founded the Andy Roddick Foundation, which has raised more than $8.25 million for several charities.

Special VIP ticket packages, including VIP courtside seating and admission to the Smash Hits VIP Reception and Auction, will also be available. For more information on the VIP Reception, contact Paige Sharber at 225-928-8346.